Well... it depends.  If it is stuck open, it will run poorly (hesitation when accelerating) until it warms up.  If it is stuck shut, it will run ok when cold, but run rich as it warms up.

I have had several sets of wheels powder coated.  Results were outstanding.  Very smooth, and easy to keep clean.  Last set was 2 years ago and I paid $125 per wheel, which included clean up of some corrosion on all 4 wheels, color powder in some areas of the wheel, and clear everywhere else.  I will be doing another set the next time my DD needs tires.

What is the typical useful life of an AOD?  What are the first signs when they are getting tired?  Mine doesn't leak a drop, and seems to work fine after 140,000 miles, which has me wondering....

Contemplating a long road trip in October and I need to get my thrash list together.

Steve69 wrote:

     Do you have any pics of the care on your lift?   I have a 9" ceilings and debating on a 4 post lift.  I didn't think 9 foot would get it up high enough.  
 

Steve, I have a 4 post lift with a 9' ceiling.  I use a rolling stool like MS mentions.  PM me your cell number, and I can text you a pic or 2.

I also found it VERY helpful to install "high lift" garage door tracks, which keeps my garage door about 6" from the ceiling, when open.  I got them from DDM garage doors, who is local to me, but he ships everywhere.  I can still have my car all the way up, with the garage door open.

Congrats, Barry!

3.5 months left for me.

Steve,  that looks really nice.  I would love to have a body & paint guy in our family.....

Tell me, what was the time span between taking the car to the body shop and taking it back home?

A couple years ago while house shopping with one of my sons, we came across a vintage dragster in a garage.  It had tandem flatheads on it.  Really wierd.

It wasn't mentioned, so I must ask, did you run a scan to see if the ecm is throwing any codes?  I would start there before going through that lengthy idle surge checklist.  Been there, done that.

I think I can verify a few cars

Cover is MS's 66
January is Steve69's 69
February is Glen B's  65
March might be BobC's 66, but I thought BobC had chrome Cragars....
April is someone's 67
May is Tubo's "Miss May" 1965
June is terry's 65
July is dave68's 68, I think
August is Michael's 67
September is TerryMcG's 66
October is unknown to me, but a 66
November is lowercasesteve's 66, I believe
December is calendar owner's 70  

You are looking for an opinion.  I'll offer mine.  If you like to drive it, limit yourself to 5000 rpm's.  If you like to work on it, go ahead and regularly take it up to 6500+.  After 18 years and 60,000 miles, I would expect a bit of relaxation in the valve springs that would encourage me to be conservative about how high I would wind it up.

Of course, if you have your dream engine on a stand in the shop.....

Inspect the front shock towers closely.  That's where they rust.  If the heater core is bypassed, it probably has a bad heater core, and a rusty pass side floor pan.  Look at the rear torque boxes too.  That's where the evidence of hard driven 5 speed cars show their wear.

The primary reason guys swap to 5 lug is to get a wider variety of wheel upgrades.  You are almost limited to Weld Drag Lites or Drag Stars with the 4 lugs. (unless you are like me and dig the Pony wheels.)

I find them to be fun cars that the Mrs. loves to drive, too.

I should have said "there is a way to change the tail housing".  That way you can get the WC Mustang T5 with a better shifter location for a bench seat.

It seems to me that the 5 speed from a SBF F150, as RTM suggests, seems like a better way to go.  If Oscar has a mechanical speedometer in his 66 F100, he would still have that situation to solve.  I once used a "Cable-X" converter for a T56 in an S10 to keep the mechanical speedo gauge.